Where Islam spreads, freedom dies

(ANSAmed) - ROME - The despatching of immigrants, headed for the coasts of Lampedusa, many of whom died in the Sicily Channel, could be held against Colonel Gaddafi as ''an accusation he has to face. In my opinion, we are close to a new crime against humanity''. Italy's Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, said on Friday.

Gaddafi's idea of transforming Lampedusa into a kind of 'hell', Mr Frattini noted, ''there is proof of this, there is evidence gathered by the TNC, which I have spoken to Prime Minister Jibril about. He will make them public''.

According to Mr Frattini, ''it was Gaddafi himself who repeatedly threatened to send an invasion of refugees as a weapon of vengeance against Europe and not just against Italy.

Unfortunately he did it, unfortunately thousands of refugees died at sea'' Mr Frattini argued.

For her part, Italy will assist Libya and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa to tackle the migrant emergency in North African countries where, as some estimates have it, one and a half million people are attempting to reach Europe, Mr Frattini said in a radio interview.

''The recipe is to aid immigrants of sub-Saharan Africa in their areas of origin, to bring development to their countries of origin and to help a country like Libya, which is not a country of origin for immigration, but is a a country of transit, to tackle this phenomenon''.

''We have already done this with Tunisia, when in February an enormous flux of people were escaping the Tunisian revolution, and Italy quickly sent its intervention to the temporary camp, even evacuating hundreds of people to their countries of origin to help them in the places they were born. The recipe is not to create great encampments here in Italy, where there are not enough jobs to go round, there is not possibility of welcoming them''.

''Up to now we have managed the 50,000 people who have arrived since January. We have done this with humanity, distinguishing between those who had a right to refugee status, who will remain, and those who were illegal economic migrants, who we accompanied to Tunisia, helping Tunisia to find a job for them. But the management of migration is a European issue, not a matter for Lampedusa, for Sicily or for Italy''.